Membrane interactions and drug distribution of lipidic nanocapsules

Retinal diseases are often progressive conditions that worsen over time, potentially causing permanent vision impairment. There are several retinal disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases of the retina, which are still lacking a valid treatment. As new classes of drugs are developed to tackle retinal degeneration, a suitable carrier system is essential for delivery of the drug to the retinal tissues. Lipidic nanocapules (LNCs) are thought to enable delivery of drug to the retinal tissue after intravitreal injection, but it is not clear if the LNCs interact with the cell membrane and if this is important for the delivery of the drug to the retina. In the study proposed here, the goal is to take a first step in understanding the mechanistic interaction of LNCs with mammalian cell membrane models, which will inform improved formulation development and modification of drug release.